Attendance Policy & Plan
Attendance Policy and Plan School Year 2026-27
Public School 50Q, 28Q050
Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year!
We are excited to share our school’s Attendance policy and plan. This policy and plan will hopefully provide you with the information and guidance you need to help you help your child attend and stay in school.
OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY’S ATTENDANCE GOAL
Attendance matters. Missing a day of school means missing hours of instructional time. Research shows that students who attend regularly achieve greater success in school and in life. Our school’s collective goal for attendance remains the same. Whether in-person or remote, we want every child attending school every day or at least 95% of the school year.
ATTENDANCE TAKING
Our School will take Attendance:
Each morning from 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
ATTENDANCE DEFINITIONS
| Modality | In-person | Remote |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Student attends (is physically present in the classroom/school learning environment) at least one full instructional period during the school day. | Student attends (is virtually present for) synchronous or asynchronous instruction for the equivalent of at least one full instructional period during the scheduled program day. |
| Absent | A student that is not physically present in the classroom school learning environment for instruction during the scheduled school day. | Not virtually present for synchronous or asynchronous instruction. |
1 Synchronous instruction is defined as live interaction between the teacher and student(s) each day at a scheduled time, communicated in advance to parents and students. For more information, please contact the school.
2 Asynchronous learning refers to instruction and learning opportunities that are not centered on students and teachers interacting at the same time. Asynchronous learning activities enable students to work at their own pace so they can learn the same material at different times independently.
COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILIES
Our school uses the following methods to communicate with families about attendance:
Parent letters, robocalls, Class Dojo, emails & texts (NYC Public Schools GAMA)
It is very important for the school to have families’ up-to-date contact information. To make sure we can reach you, please alert us of any changes to your address or phone number by:
Contacting the Pupil Account, Ms. Dottie 718-526-5336 / dhandlervelazquez@schools.nyc.gov
ABSENCES
If you know your child is going to miss school on a certain day or will be missing school for an extended period, please notify the school in advance by:
- Sending a written letter to the classroom teacher
- Sending a message to the classroom teacher on Class Dojo
- Contacting the Pupil Account, Ms. Dottie 718-526-5336 / dhandlervelazquez@schools.nyc.gov
If your child is absent, we will follow up by making a positive phone call, text, or email home. This follow-up helps us to ensure that your child is safe, healthy and that your family has what it needs to help your child overcome the barriers to attending school.
While every single absence is equal to missed instructional time, we nonetheless mark absences as documented and undocumented. Please provide us with information on the reason for your child’s absence. Here is what you need to know regarding documented and undocumented absences:
● Documented Absence:
Documented absences are still absences.
An absence may be documented for reasons including illness, injury, problems accessing technology or getting online during a snow emergency day, family emergency with documentation, religious observation, pre-arranged appointments. Schools may require advance notice for foreseeable events (like religious holidays).
While schools can mark an absence as “documented” when a student is absent from school for religious reasons, illness, medical or emergency reasons, the documented absence is still an absence and is a legal part of the student's record.
● Undocumented Absence:
An undocumented absence is when too little to no information is provided when a student is marked absent for the day.
LATENESS
Even if a student is late, they are still marked as present as long as they attend for at least one instructional period. If you know your child is going to be late on a certain day please:
- Sending a written letter to the classroom teacher
- Sending a message to the classroom teacher on Class Dojo
- Contacting the Pupil Account, Ms. Dottie 718-526-5336 / dhandlervelazquez@schools.nyc.gov
Just as with absences, we flag lateness as documented and undocumented. Here is what you need to know regarding documented and undocumented lateness:
● Documented Lateness:
Students are expected to arrive at school on time each day. However, we recognize that certain circumstances may cause unavoidable delays. Documented lateness is defined as a student’s late arrival to school that is justified by acceptable reasons outlined by the NYC Department of Education and supported by appropriate documentation.
Lateness may be considered as a documented lateness for the same reasons provided for absence e.g. Illness/injury, pre-arranged/verified medical appointment, or getting online, religious observation, family emergency, or school or bus delays or documented MTA delays, problems with accessing technology (when remote).
Upon arrival, students must provide written documentation (e.g., doctor’s note, parent letter) to have lateness coded as a documented lateness.
For recurring issues, families may be asked to meet with school staff to develop a punctuality plan.
● Undocumented Lateness:
An undocumented lateness is defined as a student’s late arrival to school without a valid reason or required documentation, as outlined by the NYC Department of Education. These instances are recorded and will impact attendance records.
An undocumented lateness is when a student is not in their classroom, (if in-person), or online for their morning meeting, (if remote), by 8:05 a.m. and has not provided reasons for lateness.
For recurring issues, families may be asked to meet with school staff to develop a punctuality plan.
LEAVING EARLY
This section explains our school’s policy for a student’s early departure from the school day in both remote and in-person settings. Even if a student leaves school before the end of the school day, they are still marked as present as long as they attend for at least one instructional period. If your child is going to leave early on a certain day, please notify the school by:
- Sending a written letter to the classroom teacher
- Sending a message to the classroom teacher on Class Dojo
- Contacting the Pupil Account, Ms. Dottie 718-526-5336 / dhandlervelazquez@schools.nyc.gov
● Early Departure:
Early departure refers to a student leaving school before the official end of the school day. Students are expected to remain in school for the full instructional day, and early pickups will not be approved unless they fall under approved circumstances such as; student illness medical appointments that cannot be scheduled outside school hours, pre-approved dismissals authorized by administration, or religious observances. Early pickups for convenience, travel, extracurricular activities, or non-urgent reasons will not be accommodated, and all early departure requests must go through the main office with proper proof of appointments and adequate time for the student to be called from class to ensure safety and minimize instructional disruption. There will be no early release of students after 1:35.
Early departure from elementary school must follow NYC DOE guidelines, including documentation and sign-out procedures. Leaving school early must be arranged in advance. Written or verbal explanation is required at pickup. A student can be dismissed from school early to the family or authorized adults listed on the student’s emergency contact form. Anyone picking up a student must provide a photo ID and sign the student out at the main desk. If someone other than the parent/guardian is picking up the student, prior written authorization must be submitted and verified.
Any student who is leaving school prior to regular dismissal time must be signed out and accompanied by a parent or an authorized adult listed on the student’s emergency contact form. Students who have permission to walk home independently for dismissal at the end of regular school day will NOT be permitted to leave school alone for early departure. Please note that consent for independent dismissal applies only to the dismissal time at the end of regular school day and does not extend to early departures.
Frequent early departures may prompt a review and meeting with school staff to support consistent attendance.
ATTENDANCE AND MAKE-UP WORK
If a child is absent or late, grades, coursework, or exams could be affected. Here is what you need to know regarding our grading policies and how we support our students with make-up work:
Lateness to class may result in a lower class average due to the loss of instructional time in activities such as classroom participation, examinations (Quizzes/full period exams), group work, etc.
Students who miss school for documented reasons may be given the opportunity to complete missed assignments. Where feasible, teachers can provide appropriate makeup work and support to help students stay on track. Makeup work should be completed within a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the teacher.
How Can We Help?
This section shares information regarding our schools’ multi-tiered support plan. It is our hope that through these supports your children have what they need to attend school regularly.
COMMUNICATION
Every day a student is absent we will make a positive phone call home to check in and make sure the student and family are healthy. During parent-teacher conferences, we will share information regarding your child’s attendance and discuss how we as a school community can be most helpful in creating the conditions for your child to attend regularly and thrive in school.
Tier 1: Universal Supports include:
- Positive school climate and welcoming routines.
- Clear attendance expectations shared with families.
- Incentives and recognition for good attendance.
- Regular communication about attendance goals.
PERSONALIZED SUPPORTS
Our approach to student attendance is rooted in a commitment to equity, relationship-building, and proactive intervention. We provide personalized and tiered supports to ensure every student has the opportunity to attend school consistently and engage meaningfully in their learning.
EX: Students who have by the end of September missed more than two days of school will be connected to a Success Mentor., A Success Mentor is a caring adult who provides targeted supports and serves as a mentor and as an advocate for their mentees.
Tier 2: Targeted Supports include:
- Outreach to families of students with emerging attendance concerns.
- Check-ins with a trusted adult or attendance mentor.
- Problem-solving meetings to identify and address barriers.
- Short-term attendance plans with goals and supports.
- Individualized attendance intervention plans.
- Students linked to enrichment clubs and academic support as needed.
Tier 3: Intensive Supports
- Individualized attendance intervention plans
- Ongoing monitoring and family engagement
- Coordination with counselors, social workers, and community agencies
- Referrals to support services (e.g., housing, health, transportation)
CELEBRATIONS
We are dedicated to making sure every child has the support needed to attend school every day and succeed academically. We recognize and celebrate students’ attendance improvement, no matter how small. When a student improves their attendance, we recognize and celebrate their success in a variety of ways.
Our school also celebrates perfect attendance and attendance improvement using the following methods:
- Monthly Perfect Attendance Recognition
- Attendance Certificates
- Bulletin Board Recognition
- Random Attendance Incentive Days
- Interclass Competition
- Raffles for chances to win Prizes and Rewards
- PBIS School Store for chances to win Prizes and Rewards using School Star Bucks
- End-of-year award ceremony
PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITIES
Our school partners with neighborhood organizations to provide academic support, health services, family engagement, and enrichment opportunities. These partnerships help meet students’ social, emotional, and practical needs.
| Organization | Type of Support | How They Help |
|---|---|---|
| CommonPoint | Family support & youth development | Offers case management, after-school programs, and family services |
| Children’s Aid | Health & wellness, academic support | Provides school-based health centers, counseling, and tutoring |
| INCLUDEnyc | Disability services | Supports students with disabilities and their families through advocacy and workshops |
| Advocates for Children of New York | Legal & educational advocacy | Provides free legal help for students facing barriers to education |
| New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) | Immigrant family support | Assists with school enrollment, language access, and family engagement |
SCHOOL CALENDAR
To view a calendar of the school’s events, go to:
CONTACT INFORMATION
We hope this information is helpful to you! If you have questions about our attendance plan, please contact us at:
Contact the Pupil Account, Ms. Dottie 718-526-5336 / dhandlervelazquez@schools.nyc.gov
Contact the Parent Coordinator, Mr. Sattar 718-526-5336 / RIbnesattar@schools.nyc.gov
Contact the School Counselor, Ms. Bell 718-526-5336 / sbell18@schools.nyc.gov
Contact the Bilingual School Counselor, Mrs. Almonte 718-526-5336 / malmonte11@schools.nyc.gov
Contact the Community Coordinator, Ms. Guzman 718-526-5336 / iguzman4@schools.nyc.gov
